If you want better Connectivity options
Choose Sendy Audio Apollo Pro. It scores 4.5 vs 3.2 for Connectivity options, with a 4.4 overall score.
Meze Audio 105 Silva Headphones Review
Bottom Line
Choose the 105 Silva for premium comfort, repairable build, musical mids, and immersive home listening. Skip it if you need ANC, Bluetooth, strong isolation, or the most neutral sound at $500.
Best for
Best for at-home listeners who want a comfortable, repairable, premium-feeling open-back headphone with warm musicality, strong imaging, and a visually distinctive walnut-accented design.
Not for
Not for commuters, wireless/ANC shoppers, bassheads seeking sub-bass slam, or listeners who prioritize strict neutrality and maximum technical detail over comfort and character.
Verdict
The Meze Audio 105 Silva lands as a design-led open-back headphone with unusually strong agreement around comfort, build, repairability, and visual appeal. Reviewers repeatedly praised its musical, immersive presentation, clear midrange, textured bass, and refined treble, with imaging and separation often standing out more than sheer soundstage size. The tradeoff is that its tuning is not universally neutral: some heard dry or limited bass weight, spicy upper treble, narrowed staging, or less acoustic competitiveness than cheaper alternatives. It also remains a wired, open-back home-listening headphone, so isolation, commuting, wireless features, and ANC are not part of the value proposition.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
42 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.022 (52%)
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Positive 3.5-4.417 (40%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.43 (7%)
Pros
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Repairability and sustainability were strong positives, with reviewers emphasizing disassembly, serviceability, and replaceable parts.
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Reviewers repeatedly found the headphones easy to drive and capable of high volume from modest devices.
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Replaceable pads/headband were praised as part of the long-term serviceable design.
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One review confirmed removable pads as part of the serviceable construction.
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Design was a major strength, with reviewers praising the walnut-accented look, vintage-modern styling, and overall visual execution.
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Comfort was one of the strongest points, with reviewers repeatedly praising long-session wearability and Meze’s ergonomics.
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Build quality was consistently praised as robust, premium, refined, and carefully assembled.
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The self-adjusting headband was repeatedly praised for fit, convenience, and comfort.
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Fit stability was praised in the reviews that addressed it, with no slippage and secure head fit noted.
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One review directly praised the product as visually appealing and authentic.
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One review praised the headband’s pressure distribution across the top of the head.
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Instrument separation and imaging were consistently praised, with reviewers highlighting precise placement, strong layering, and easy focus on individual sounds.
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Premium feel was a clear strength, with reviewers emphasizing luxury materials, refined styling, and ownership experience.
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Earpads were widely praised as soft, plush, comfortable, and well made.
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Immersive audio was a repeated strength, with reviewers describing lifelike, emotional, three-dimensional, or enveloping presentation.
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Weight comfort was praised because the headphone feels lighter than expected and distributes weight well.
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Durability expectations were positive due to flexibility and a design intended for long-term ownership.
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Included accessories were positively viewed, especially when tied to the case, adapters, cable, and overall value.
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One review praised the front-to-back and left-to-right spatial definition.
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Source and platform compatibility was strong overall, with reviewers saying it works well from phones, laptops, DAPs, and varied sources.
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The included case was consistently praised as robust, well-made, useful, and attractive.
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Cup articulation was praised for helping fit and seal, with one review noting broad pivoting movement.
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Value was mostly positive, especially for build, sound, accessories, and price, though competition at $500 was noted.
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One review specifically said the headphones kept dynamics intact at louder volumes.
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Bass was generally praised for control, texture, punch, and warmth, with repeated caveats that sub-bass slam is limited or the low end can feel bloomy.
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Most reviewers praised the 105 Silva’s sound as musical, engaging, and refined, though one measurement-focused review found it less competitive acoustically.
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Midrange was often treated as a strength, especially for clarity, timbre, and vocals, but a few reviewers noted forwardness, hollowness, or harshness with some voices.
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Overall recommendation was positive across most reviews, though not unanimous; one reviewer found it not fully competitive on sound alone.
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The USB-C dongle/DAC was received positively as a convenient and classy included accessory.
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USB-C support through the included adapter was positively received for convenience and pleasant out-of-box use.
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The included USB-C DAC adapter was praised for convenience, but the evidence supports an external adapter rather than a fully built-in headphone DAC.
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Treble drew strong praise for clarity, air, and refinement, while several reviewers warned about spice, sizzle, or timbral issues on brighter recordings.
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Clamp was mostly comfortable and well distributed, though one review found it a bit tight at first.
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One review framed the headphones as relatively portable-friendly for an open-back design.
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Soundstage impressions were mixed: several heard expansive or organized staging, while others found the stage narrower, modest, or not especially deep.
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Tuning was described as smooth, balanced, and coherent by many, but not neutral; several reviewers noted colorations and divisive response traits.
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One review found leakage lower than expected for an open-back headphone.
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Detachable cable use was mixed, with secure connection praised but aftermarket cable fit called harder due to the recessed/narrow connectors.
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Cable feedback was mixed: some liked the sturdiness or low microphonics, while others criticized ergonomics, microphonics, or the lack of a balanced option.
Cons
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Travel friendliness was mixed: reviewers liked the case and some outdoor practicality, but open-back leakage and size limited true portable use.
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Connectivity was mixed because USB-C/3.5mm convenience was offset by narrow connectors and the absence of a balanced stock cable.
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Passive isolation was considered weak or reduced, which reviewers framed as expected for an open-back design.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Over-Ear Headphones, this product is above average in Sustainability and repairability, Replaceable pads/headband, Included accessories, near average in Comfort during long use, Value for money, below average in Connectivity options, Noise isolation (passive), Travel friendliness.
Summary
42 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher25 (60%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts14 (33%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower3 (7%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability and repairability | 4.8 | 3.6 | +1.2 |
| Connectivity options | 3.2 | 4.3 | -1.1 |
| Replaceable pads/headband | 4.8 | 3.6 | +1.2 |
| Noise isolation (passive) | 2.7 | 3.8 | -1.2 |
| Included accessories | 4.6 | 3.6 | +1.0 |
| Carry case quality | 4.5 | 3.6 | +0.9 |
| Volume output | 4.8 | 3.9 | +0.9 |
| Spatial audio | 4.6 | 3.6 | +1.0 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better Midrange clarity
Choose DALI IO-12 Headphones. It scores 4.8 vs 4.3 for Midrange clarity, with a 4.1 overall score.
If you want better Soundstage width
Choose Yamaha YH-L500A Headphones. It scores 4.8 vs 4.1 for Soundstage width, with a 4.1 overall score.
If you want better Travel friendliness
Choose Edifier WH950NB Gen 2 Wireless Headphones. It scores 4.6 vs 3.2 for Travel friendliness, with a 4.2 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
105 AER
- Worse: bass control and warmth The Silva is described as trimming 105 AER warmth for a cleaner and more controlled low end.
- Compared: warmth versus detail The 105 AER is described as warmer and more inviting, while Silva is positioned as the more detailed counterpart.
- Compared: sound tuning position The Silva is framed as combining some 105 AER warmth and versatility with other technical influences.
109 Pro
- Compared: treble shaping The 109 Pro is described as more aggressively shaped in the treble region than Silva.
- Better: complete and versatile sound The 109 Pro is still described as more complete and versatile than Silva.
- Better: absolute sound quality The reviewer says Silva is refined but still below the 109 Pro and higher-tier open-backs in absolute performance.
109 Pros
- Similar: technical performance The reviewer says the 105 Silvers approach the 109 Pros in technical performance.
FAQ
Are the Meze 105 Silva good for long listening sessions?
Yes. Comfort was one of the strongest areas, with reviewers praising the self-adjusting headband, soft pads, weight distribution, and all-day ergonomics.
Do the 105 Silva isolate outside noise?
No. Reviewers treated isolation as limited because these are open-back headphones, though one review noted leakage was not excessive for the design.
How is the bass on the 105 Silva?
The bass is generally described as controlled, textured, punchy, and clean. It is not the best choice for listeners who want heavy sub-bass rumble or maximum slam.
Are the 105 Silva easy to drive?
Yes. Multiple reviewers said they get loud easily and work well from modest sources, phones, laptops, dongles, DAPs, and desktop setups.
Is the soundstage wide?
Opinions are mixed. Some reviewers heard an expansive, organized stage with strong imaging, while others found the stage narrow, modest, or less deep than expected.
Are the 105 Silva worth the price?
Most reviewers saw strong value because of the comfort, build, accessories, repairability, and sound, but a few warned that similarly priced or cheaper competitors may beat it for pure sound quality.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Youtube
- Review score
- 4.6
Article Reviews
techradar.com
- Review score
- 4.4
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